THE South Munster Region of Dressage Ireland held the final of their Childeric winter league last Saturday at Ballindenisk, where the judging duties fell to Joanne Jarden (List 1), Elena Satalkina (List 4) and Betty O’Neill (List 5).

The same horse/rider combination had to compete in at least three legs of the league and the final to be eligible for a league placing in the 10 such classes judged on Saturday.

In front of Jarden these were Ana Hughes with her 16-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding by Lancelot, Sligo Dark Knight (62.73% in the Medium), Bethany Mackey with her Dutch Warmblood mare Kalahari (67.21 in the Advanced Medium) and Sue Smallman riding her KWPN-registered gelding Gloriant H (65.44 in the FEI Prix St George). Mackey and Kalahari also recorded an uncontested non-league win before Jarden in the day’s Advanced class (65.14).

Elaine Whelton and Ardnehue Golden Magic at the final of the South Munster Childeric winter league last Saturday at Ballindenisk \ Louise O'Brien Photography

Three league finals

Satalkina judged three league finals, facing her largest field of five in the Novice DI24A, where she awarded her highest score (68.50%) to Cecilia Foster riding her Connemara gelding Abbeyside Rory, a nine-year-old grey by Carracanada River. Her winner of the three-runner Elementary final was Melanie Mackey on board the Scottish Warmblood gelding Wagner V.U. (67.08%), a 22-year-old Ludwig bay, while Clara Nyhan saw off two rivals to claim the Trailblazers’ Under 12 final with her mother Emily’s 17-year-old piebald mare Molly Dot Com (72.65).

Betty O’Neill, who judged four finals, faced her largest field of seven in the Intro, where her overall leaderboard was headed by Elaine Whelton riding the unregistered Ardnehue Golden Magic (69.05%), a seven-year-old dun pony mare by Dungimmon Knight. There were just four starters in the Preliminary final won by Caroline Marwood with Rose McCarthy’s Connemara gelding Silverhill Boy (68.96), an eight-year-old grey son of Moorlands Snowy River.

O’Neill’s two Trailblazer winners were Lily McLaughlin, who scored 66.94% in the Mini final with her mother Susan’s 15-year-old 123cm Welsh mare Dinky Daisey, and Maria Fleming Hand, who topped the overall scoreboard in the six-runner Preliminary final with her mother Tracy’s 21-year-old 133cm dun gelding Bishopshall Joe (69.82).